Two Step
by Destinies Entwined
Summary: A Post-Chapter 152 One-shot. Go read the manga first before you read this. SPOILERS GALORE. English Manga quotes thanks to the lovely and professional Laura, on Tumblr. Title inspired by the Song by Dave Matthews Band. Enjoy!


"Two Step"  
(A HakYona Post-152 Story)

In the wake of the Xing crisis, the two countries had avoided war and the dust was starting to settle. But a certain former general found himself increasingly restless and his heart far from settled. Only two days after the ordeal, Hak sat quietly in the shade by the river along side Zeno, his brow furrowed as he stared ahead, perplexed by his princess's recent behavior _._ She had been avoiding any personal conversation at all costs, to the point that, despite his injuries he willingly chased her for answers that were sadly not forthcoming.

It had been a week since _it_ happened. And now, the battle with emotions had reached their apex. For when he tried to broach the subject during the previous day's awkward conversation, Yona had given him a lame response, which he suspected was less than half-hearted.

 _"That was...a greeting!"_

He choked his frustration back as he recalled it all. He could see it in her face. She wasn't clueless anymore. Yona was being strangely erratic and distant.

 _Why did she dismiss it like that?_ _Never mind apologize, then try to dismiss ME, of all things...?_

He reflected on the past week, and everything that had transpired, his mind going straight to Ogi's place in Kuuto.

Yona had insisted on going their separate ways, even if only for a few days. And she peered up at him, he was sure his distrust and concern overflowed into his gaze. His heart hadn't a moment to ache. He barely had a second to register Yona speaking his name before he was being pulled toward her.

Former General Son Hak may be the dreaded Thunder Beast in battle, but Yona, Princess and true heir to the throne of Kouka, never ceased to downright _shock_ him. His heart had leapt into his throat. She lingered for a mere second, before slowly pulling away and looking to him for a reaction of some kind.

In retrospect, he realized her her hasty retreat was most _definitely_ due to his lack of response. He couldn't will words to form as his mouth hung agape. His mind had exploded into a chaotic jumble of thoughts.

For days, Hak had preoccupied himself with the matters at hand. Despite his best efforts, even in her absence, that fiery girl he had come to love would not let him rest. It haunted his thoughts in the rare moments of quiet, replaying in an incessant loop in his mind's eye. It was so brief, but the fleeting sensation of her soft lips had left a lasting impression. Even his own dreams betrayed him, planting hope in his heart.

Hak recalled the moment Yona had _finally_ returned to the camp.

Lifting her up off the horse, those violet eyes came _so_ close, their noses nearly brushed. Hak held his breath. The thought flitted across his mind that it was an opportunity to reciprocate, but he hesitated...And promptly got a reaction he _should_ have-but hadn't-expected. He put it aside as the fight in Princess Kouren's palace ensued, refusing to ever let Yona leave his side again.

There was no denying it: He loved this girl with his whole being.

The poor man's heart couldn't take much more, so the ever patient Thunder Beast had finally resolved to bear his heart to her, when they had a moment to themselves.

 _"Princess...when this is over we need to talk."_

After everything that has happened after months in the wilderness: wandering the territories, village to village, taking part in so many brutal battles and nearly losing each other on too many occasions, he and the princess had grown so much closer. The familiar touches and embraces, falling asleep together, the numerous times he had succumbed to his emotions and kissed her lovely face, her gift, and now her kiss...what Hak had expected to give way to a heartfelt private talk yesterday had all culminated with a gross misunderstanding, and an utterly painful dialogue. It was _not_ the talk he had wanted to have.

 _Why is she pushing me away?_

Hak just couldn't _take_ anymore. He couldn't bear Yona avoiding his gaze, not being able to bask in those intense violet eyes, like the hottest flames in the center of a fire. The idea of her running away from him because she was also feeling awkward around him tore him to shreds. He was getting _nauseous_ from the anxiety.

There was something between them. He just _knew_ it. He felt it at the core of his being. He was considering trying once more, when given the chance, to try and get her to listen.

Hak was dragged back to the present as a dripping wet Yona approached them.

 _She means well, but gods, is she ridiculous sometimes!_ He thought as he assessed her damp figure and dripping hair. Her air of naivety, as frustrating as it had become at times, was still endearing. _But she's still so damn beautiful._

He rubbed his temples before standing and grabbing something to dry her hair with. All he did was try to help, and show her how much he cared, and _still,_ she kept putting space between them.

Having no idea his heart could get any heavier, it had. So, he turned and left.

He was thankful to be able to leave camp a little earlier than expected, as he found he had a better pick of ingredients and a new supply of arrows for Yona.

When Hak returned from retrieving supplies, what he didn't expect was a blushing, emotional Yona apologizing to him for her behavior in front of everyone. It alerted him to all of the notions she had, and where she went wrong.

He couldn't even comprehend that the princess had absolutely no concept of his intentions. She was still in the mindset of when they first set out together months ago.

 _Have I really not been as obvious as I think I have?_

But at least now, it all made sense.

"You're a very important person to me, so, please...Stay with me!" she cried.

It was in that moment Hak's dam had cracked and broken. Everything came pouring out in out in a violent deluge, drowning all who listened. The truths of his heart and soul.

The raw frustration of holding his feelings in so tightly for so long turned words of love and adoration into increasingly ferocious shouting. The fact that he had to spell things out for her was _beyond_ any kind of embarrassment now. He made things crystal clear, point by point. Every time Yona tried to interject, Hak's sense of urgency and frustration rose higher and higher. He was practically shaking.

" _YOU'RE_ THE ONE I LOVE!"

The look on Yona's shocked face told him she had heard him, all right.

"What?"

 _Oh for fuck's sake!_

"Don't you give me that ' _what?'_ shit!" Hak yelled, and took a deep breath. "...AYAME HAS A LOVER, AND I'M IN LOVE WITH _YOU,_ SO THAT STUFF ABOUT HAVING A FIANCEE IS AS GOOD AS BULLSHIT!"

Once he assured himself that Yona now fully understood everything, he heaved a incredibly satified sigh, finally allowing his body to relax.

" _That's_ a weight off my shoulders."

The unwound Thunder Beast looked down at Yona's wide-eyed form, staring ahead in shock as she processed everything he had just unloaded. He paused, grimacing as he felt a twinge of guilt for his delivery. He dismissed the guilt as he hoped it would encourage her to be just as honest with him.

And above all, he wanted to kiss her again... _properly._

He shook the notion from his head, shoving it aside since he had no idea how she was going to react when she came to her senses. She would have to come to him, first. But he needed a moment of quiet solitude. So, he simply walked away, heading back over to the river and sit alone to clear his mind of all the chaos and frustrations that plagued him.

Yona sat there, still on the ground, staring down at the patch of grass in front of her. As the shock began to ease, tears welled in her eyes, and her heated face calmed to a robust rosy hue.

 _Have I really been that clueless about Hak's feelings this WHOLE time? He...loves me? In THAT way? How long has he felt this way?_

It hit her in waves-much like Hak's words-moments upon moments they'd shared, where Yona wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly when he said something to her under his breath; or when she had been convinced her beloved bodyguard was merely teasing her even if he had seemed serious, like when he had rescued her from the hands of Sei...or the way he had held her while they slept that last night on the journey to Kuuto, the recollection made her body tingle.

 _"...ove you."_

He _had_ said it before, she realized. Suddenly, she began to recall all of the times he had kissed her-on her forehead, on her cheek, the ways he had embraced her sometimes and mumbled things into her hair. When he sounded like he was about to say things to her and stopped himself...

 _Just like yesterday...and I screwed it all up by being an idiot who couldn't say what I really feel. All the signs were there, but I was just too blind to see it._

The rest of the guys could see her wheels turning, and they were hoping that her furious blush was an indicator of how much just dawned on the girl.

Jae-ha's words repeated in her head...she needed to be open about she truly felt about Hak.

"Thank you, Jae-ha," she said, getting up slowly and turning toward her dragons. "I am going to take your advice...I must go and be honest with Hak, too."

"You do that, Yona, dear," the green dragon replied with a soft, knowing smile. "I'm sure you'll both feel a lot better when you do."

Jae-ha gave her a playful wink and shooed her off.

Clutching handfuls of her robes, she headed off in the direction she saw Hak leave-seemingly back to the river.

 _I feel so awful. All this time, I've been running from my feelings-running from HIM. And I've hurt him..._ She flinched at the thought. _I'm so stupid!_

More tears formed in her eyes, but she fought back, wiping them away with her still-damp sleeve.

 _I must make things right. I know it will change a lot between us, but I need him to know the truth._

As she approached, she heard the splashing of water coming from the river. Moving closer to the sound, Yona could see Hak's hsu quandao leaning upright against the tree near the riverbank.

And his brilliant blue robes hung from the same branch she had used earlier.

 _Dear gods, he's bathing! I can't go over there right now!_

The flames of romantic love that had been slowly burning over the last couple of months, suddenly burst to life as she envisioned what her eyes couldn't actually see.

 _I can't believe I am thinking of Hak that way!_

She blushed furiously and tucked herself behind another tree and sat, listening-and waiting-while trying not to let reality play out in her mind's eye. Eventually she heard what sounded like Hak climbing out of the water. After a few more minutes, she peeked out from behind her tree to find that his robes were no longer hanging. Taking it as a sign that he was probably dressed, she steeled her nerves and calmly, quietly walked over.

Yona knew Hak had to be aware of her approach, yet he didn't acknowledge it.

As she arrived at his side, standing to the right of the tree, just beside him. She looked down at him, observing his relaxed frame. Though his dark shaggy mane was still damp, he seemed meditative, eyes closed and head bowed slightly toward the folded hands in his lap. It was almost as if he was waiting for her. So, she decided to speak up.

"It wasn't a greeting," she stated gently.

Something electric bolted up Hak's spine, knowing _exactly_ what she was referring to. His blue eyes flew open and looked up at her, wordlessly questioning her further.

Yona saw the hope that sparkled there. It was a stark contrast to the furious look that bore into her less than an hour ago. She took the cue to sit at his side, facing him.

 _I can be courageous about so much, but why have I been so afraid of my feelings?_

"The kiss..." she paused, shocked by her own admission, "It wasn't just a greeting." The usually fiery princess fought her fears, clenching the skirt of her robes for a moment as she carefully chose her words. "You seemed so sad, so concerned that I was leaving your side. It made me feel so many things. I wanted most to reassure you-To tell you I would be all right, and that I would return to you. It was...a _promise._ "

His eyes searched hers, reading a deeper meaning in her words, before she looked down at her lap again.

"I'm sorry I've been so ignorant of your feelings, Hak."

"You don't ha-"

" _Yes._ I _do._.." she buffered, refinding his gaze with adamance. "...because for a while now, I have been trying to figure out my _own_ feelings...about you."

The most renowned man in Kouka sat, rendered speechless as her eyes smiled up at him, glittering with forming tears.

"I've been so stupid," she stated. "Somewhere along the way, you became that _special_ person to me. I gave you that stone to show you that." Yona reached out and touched the bright blue lapis lazuli hanging from Hak's neck. Her hand slowly retreated as she continued. "But I didn't know how to handle all the things you made me feel. And I began to think that if you didn't feel the same, it would just be a burden...on both of us." Her expression fell slightly. "I had myself convinced that you were just teasing me all of the time-even when you _said_ you weren't. I mean...that's the way it had always been before-well- _everything_ happened."

Hak grimaced, knowing all too well how much he played "just kidding" card over the years.

 _Guess that came back to bite me._

Yona fiddled with her robes some more and cleared her throat.

"I have been kind of _jealous_...when girls in villages showed you attention, or talked about how 'cool' you were." Yona's face was feverishly warm as she fought with her self-consciousness. But she continued after a deep breath. "I was really upset when I heard about Ayame...just for a moment-when I thought she was your fiancee," she uttered softly. "I _tried_ to not let it bother me, but, it made me really sad to think you had someone else. I was selfishly hoping I'd be the only girl."

Hak's brows threatened his hair line, left without a single retort as his only love unloaded all of her truths on him. His heart pounding in his chest, a tingle of anticipation rising in his stomach. Somehow, he _knew_ what was coming.

Her hand reached out to his which lay in his lap, covering it with her own.

"I'm glad you don't have a fiancee, Hak. And, it makes me really happy to know that..." she inhaled slowly to calm her nerves. "...you _love_ me _._ "

She took a shaky breath and held it for a second before continuing, giving Hak's warm, rugged hand a squeeze. He managed to reciprocate, urging her to say the words he hoped beyond all hope that she was about to speak.

"Because, Hak...I love _you_ , too." He voice wavered as a single tear slid down her rosy cheek.

Hak inhaled sharply, completely bowled over by this revelation. For years, he has been by Yona's side. What had started as a childhood friendship, and then, teenage crush, had blossomed into something invaluable over the course of the last year or so. After years of the feelings he'd harbored for his passionate princess, he was finally free to express them-without reservation.

Hak reached out with his free hand, running his fingers through Yona's soft crimson tresses before cupping her cheek. He leaned in slightly.

"Say that again," he murmured.

"I love you, Hak..." she repeated tenderly.

A long moment passed as they both let those words hang in the air between them, welcoming an astounding shift in the reality they shared. Hak felt his throat constricting, and for the first time in their long journey, let the tears gathering in his eyes fall silently.

"And I love _you...Yona..._ " he replied, leaning in until their foreheads touched and noses brushed. Heavy lidded eyes slowly slid shut as the two basked in this penultimate moment.

The air was electric, neither of them flinching away from the other. For the first time, they felt magnetic, as if the stars in the heavens had finally aligned.

"Say my name again..." the princess whispered, her breath dancing across his lips. Hak felt a shiver ripple from the small of his back to the base of his skull.

" _Yona..."_ he drawled, letting himself savor the feel of it. Yona's stomach did a little flip, the vibration of his rich baritone giving her goosebumps.

Unseen forces pulled them toward each other. Lips easing into a gentle pressure. A little hum escaped Hak's throat as they melded together in tender ministrations. There was a gentle push and pull as they swayed slightly with the ebb and flow of the kiss.

 _Who knew kissing someone could be like this?_ She thought to herself, reveling in the sizzling sensation that wracked her entire body. Finally, the absolute joy and relief of her emotional release hit her.

 _Hak and I...everything is going to be alright..._

Smile crept onto her face, forcing her to break away. She giggled.

"S-Sorry," she said, her face flushed, still tittering in between syllables. "I'm just so happy right now!"

Hak smiled at her lovingly and pulled her to him.

"Me, too," he agreed. He held her for a long while, tucking her head in the crook of his neck. They quietly watched the late afternoon sun dip below the treeline, and listened to the river babble its winding way through the woods. Wading in each other's warmth, their breathing steadied.

"I told you I would stick annoying close to you," Hak murmured, his promise a low rumble against her hair. Yona chuckled softly.

"Truthfully, I don't think I ever _really_ minded," she admitted. "I would hope you'll never do otherwise."

Hak smiled down at her, leaning in for another kiss.

" _Never._ "

Languid lips suckled softly, innocence giving way to the smouldering passion that had been kept at bay for far too long. Hak caught Yona's bottom lip lightly between his teeth. She gasped against his eager mouth. The tip of his tongue teased her now sensitive lip, circling around to pay equal attention to the neglected one.

Tips of tongues teased and tantalized swollen, eager lips, breathing each other in. Minutes ticked by, lost in the euphoric haze of their first truly romantic moment. The line they had been toeing had been willfully crossed. And they both knew they would never look back.

The blue-eyed bodyguard broke the kiss, slowly pulling away as he smiled down at his princess.

"I'm not dreaming am I?" he asked, a playful expression dancing across his features.

Yona pinched his cheek.

"Ow! Okay, okay..." Hak said, laughter lacing his words as he pulled her into another hug. "Thank the gods."

The comfort of his love's embrace began to lull the fatigued warrior, attempting to seduce him into a slumber.

"I have to be honest," he said, breaking the peaceful stillness. "I was just about ready to fall aslep on you. After the last week or so, I am _exhausted._ I really need to eat, and take a nap."

Yona nodded, then fidgeted with the hem of Hak's robe.

"You know...you would probably sleep better, and heal faster if you sleep in _my_ tent," she said, blushing at her own audacity. "Less noise...Less people."

Hak peered down at Yona, shocked by her suggestion. She looked up at him and realized he wasn't expecting that offer so soon.

"To be honest, even if it did take me longer to get to sleep, I always slept better with you beside me," she admitted, her self-consciousness apparent on her face.

"I'm sure we can't avoid a few comments from the peanut gallery, but I gladly will if you want me to," Hak said with a sly smile. "I'd like to think we'll _both_ sleep better."

His princess smiled warmly up at him, giving him an affirming hum before giggling.

Hak got to his feet, extending a hand to his princess. Once Yona was steady on her own two feet, Hak leaned once more, kissing her once again. Yona stepped into his embrace and stayed there a moment before breaking it.

"We should head back, then. Yun's got dinner going, I can smell it," she said, reaching for Hak's hand once more.

Hak took her hand in his, his glaive in the other, and began to lead her through the greenery, back towards their meager camp. She stopped in her tracks, causing Hak to look back at her.

"Hak...does this make us... _lovers?_ " she asked cautiously.

"If you want it to, Yona," he offered. "Whenever you decide so."

"Do _you_ want to call me your lover-or partner-or whatever?"

"What do _you_ think?" He laughed softly. "Of course."

"All right then... _koibito_ ," she said, mustering all the her courage to speak such a foreign word aloud. The realization brought on a burning blush, and the courage to speak her mind. "It's weird to call someone that for the first time."

Hak hugged her tightly with his free arm, holding his weapon away from the princess.

"You'll get used to it eventually," he said, chuckling at her genuine innocence before pulling her back toward the tantalizing aroma of food. "Come on, let's go eat."

As they approached camp, they found Yun stirring the contents of the cooking pot, with Zeno hovering nearby, practically drooling. Zeno saw them and jumped up.

"Hey, Mister and Little Miss are back! And _smiling!"_ He proclaimed, bounding up to the couple. "This makes Zeno so happy!"

Yun shook his head, his back still to them as he finished adding to the contents of the pot.

"You two, smiling? Together? Is the sky fa-?" The young healer stopped short when he turned to see them hand-in-hand, smiling and blushing. Not quite knowing how to react to these types of things he simply turned back to the pot, slightly embarrassed, but yet happy for Yona and the Thunder Beast. "Well, I'm glad we don't have to put up with you guys hiding your feelings each other anymore. What a pain _that_ was."

"Well, it'll be a different kind of a pain, now that we won't be hiding it anymore," Hak teased as he sat himself near the fire, with Yona following suit.

Before the bishounen could respond, there was a rustle as Pukyuu jumped off of Shin-Ah's tummy and scurried over to Yona. Conversation eventually woke Jae-ha from his nap. Quickly realizing dinner was almost ready, the sleep-addled green dragon nudged the others. And as they all came to, they finally noticed that, across from them, Yona and Hak were practically cuddled up together. Yona was talking to Zeno, and Hak-who's fatigue was written all over his face-was leaning against Yona, with his head resting atop hers.

"It seems that we may be getting a new roommate, guys," Jae-Ha drawled playfully. "By the looks of it, Yun's switching tents."

"Can it, Droopy Eyes," Hak mumbled, "We hadn't even talked to you guys about it, yet."

"You don't need to," the green dragon countered. "We've been watching the two of you sabotage yourselves for months. This sudden turn of events was a long time coming. I am personally proud of you both for finally just coming out with it."

"I thought it was romantic, though," Kija chimed in. "Unrequited love, secretly pining for the other, always so close, but so f-"

"You _would_ think so, White Snake," Hak snorted. "Pffft..."

"Do you feel better, Yona?" Shin-Ah asked gently, ignoring the sulking white dragon next to him.

Her content smile and rosy cheeks spoke volumes. Her hand rested over Hak's.

"Mhm..." she replied. "Though there's a whole lot to talk about now, I guess we'll just take it one day at a time."

"So, when's the wedding?" Jae-ha asked with a smirk.

Yona, suddenly embarrassed to think about what, she felt, was quite far into the future, admonished the green dragon.

"Jae-ha!" she yelled with a scowl.

"So help me, Droopy Eyes," Hak threatened half-heartedly. "Keep it up, and I'll put you in an early grave."

"Well, you may as well be," Yun countered, "if you're going to be sharing a tent from now on."

"Yun! It's not like that, yet!" she shouted, red as a pomegranate, trying to shoo thoughts of an unclothed Thunder Beast laying next to her in her tent.

"Yet?" Kija repeated back, wide-eyed and blushing at the thought.

"No fooling around, you two!" Yun scolded. "Or I'm keeping my place as Yona's tentmate!"

"Yeah," Jae-ha agreed with the raise of a brow. "Besides, I'm terrible with children. Please don't expect me to babysit."

Hak grit his teeth, now _also_ thoroughly embarrassed by the insinuations.

"I really _am_ going to kill you, asshole."

Zeno shook his head vigorously.

"Mister and Little Miss love each other," he announced, gesturing to them. "It is sacred and precious. Zeno knows." He ran around behind them and hugged them. "Zeno knows Mister and Little Miss are innocent. They have too many important things to do." He smiled down at them, trying to ease their minds. "Now they will have each other for love and support as we help bring peace to Kouka!"

Yona nodded, her mortification abetted by her Yellow Dragon's wisdom and understanding.

She looked at all her companions. "Hak and I may have finally come to terms with our feelings, and decided to consider each other as partners, but we are still here all together and working for our kingdom. Our relationship is secondary to our mission. You are all my beloved companions, and you are all invaluable. Never forget that."

The dragons all came over, wrangling in Yun along with them, into a group hug with Hak and Yona.

Pulling away, Jae-ha headed in to the large tent and pulled out two ceramic flagons.

"Look what Han-Dae and Tae-Woo gave us," he revealed with a mischievous grin. "I think we have some good reasons to celebrate tonight."

"You just redeemed yourself, there, Droopy Eyes," Hak snarked.

The evening was the perfect end to the first happy day they had had in quite some time. The day had been a special one, not only marking the beginning of refound peace with Xing, but also the long-awaited connection between two destined lovers. The dragons were rested and healing, food and provisions were plentiful, and for a day, they could all enjoy the sunshine and their company in peace. For it would be all too soon that they would have to head off to the next village, the next group of people, who would undoubtedly need their help.


End file.
